LAHORE, May 10: All the three opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly have decided to call on Speaker Afzal Sahi on the issue of PML-N disqualification references before initiating a no-trust motion against him. The decision was taken at a meeting among Qasim Zia, Rana Sanaullah and Asghar Gujjar, parliamentary leaders of the PPP, the PML-N and the MMA respectively, here on Tuesday.

The PML-N has filed references against its MPAs Ahad Malik, Begum Rehana Jameel and Saba Sadiq for crossing floor to join the ruling PML.

The speaker withheld them challenging authority and status of Rana Sana as the parliamentary leader.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Mr Zia said if Mr Sahi did not accept the Rana as parliamentary leader of the PML-N and did not forward the references to the Election Commission, the no-trust motion would be initiated.

He wondered why the speaker refused to accept Rana Sana as the PML-N parliamentary leader though he along with him and Mr Gujjar had been attending the business advisory committee meetings with the same status.

PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq had also issued a notification declaring the Rana as the party leader in the Punjab Assembly on Dec 2, 2002, Zia added.

The Punjab PPP president said he too would soon file a reference against Khalid Wattoo who had also changed loyalties and joined the PML.

Mr Gujjar said his party had also prepared a reference against MPA Fayyazul Hasan Chohan who had been elected on the MMA ticket but joined the PML.

Rana Sanaullah vowed to expose the turncoats at their homes as well as in the house.

He said Saba Sadiq had been in contact with the chief minister and the law minister for the last one year and he had informed the PML-N high-ups of it in time.